We all know that the upcoming May 2021 exams are the last attempt for old course students. So, it must be very stressful for all these students to clear it in the upcoming exams.
I too faced the same situation some months ago but finally cleared the exams in November 2020.
So here are some really important tips which I feel every student must take care of -
1. Remove All Negativity
I am sure that those who are having their last attempt of Old Course must be going through a lot of pressure. There must be thousands of negative thoughts that would be coming up in your mind. And I totally understand that it gets very much difficult to deal with these negative thoughts.
I would suggest that whenever these kinds of thoughts come up in your mind, just think of that day, that moment when you will see a 'PASS' written on your marksheet. Think of how you will tell your parents, family and all close ones about your result. This will definitely supersede all the negativity in your mind. This is Tried and Tested and Succeeded Too!
2. Wait and Analyse
There must be some mistake for sure if you are not able to clear for a long period of time. It might be in study technique, in revision pattern, in writing style, in presentation format, in conceptual clarity, etc.
So, you need to understand where things are going wrong. The time you will analyse your mistakes and start working on it, results will be definitely positive.
Just putting efforts is not important, putting efforts for right things is important and that is the only thing that will give us positive results.
3. Set a Plan
Most students make mistakes at the inception level, which is planning. If the planning stage is not concrete, then even if you study for long hours will bring no results. So, make a proper time-table, allot topics as per their weightage, make notes, revise daily. If needed, change your place of studying. Join a library if you feel the need. When we see other students struggling like us, it helps to keep us motivated. Just ensure that you don't make a mistake while planning. Consult your mentor or a helping teacher whether the plan you've made is proper or not.
4. More importance to ICAI's Material
I always feel that students ignore ICAI's Material. They are always more content with the coaching notes that they get. It is good to refer to those notes from where you have taken classes but why is it so difficult to understand that the body that is conducting exams is ICAI, so it becomes so much important to refer to the materials and content that ICAI provides.
Get updated with the study material, MCQs available on ICAI's website, Revision test papers, Mock test papers, etc.
5. Writing Practice
Sometimes it happens that the concepts are right, the method of studying is also right but students still lack due to writing practice.
Solve as much sums as you can. Write as many answers as you can. Solve question papers of past years. Give test series. It's okay if all this is time consuming as of now. It's better to find mistakes now than finding mistakes during final exams and regretting it later on. So, never back off from writing the solutions.
6. Forgetting what happened in past
Students should accept that whatever happened in the past regarding the number of attempts, the mistakes they made during preparation time and while writing exams, etc is all a part of Past. What awaits is our future. And that is totally in our hands. So, never waste time thinking about why it happened to me. Accept the past, make changes in the present and see the results in future.
7. Number of revisions
This point is especially for those who are lagging behind by some marks or who are not able to clear exams because of lack of score in aggregate. I feel this result is only because of lack of revisions. Students who fail in this way have their concepts clear, they are working hard also but the only thing they are lacking in is the number of revisions.
Satisfy yourself with as many revisions as you could. Keep some days dedicated only for revisions during your preparation days. You should not miss them at any cost.
Studying half-half course for two attempts makes no sense. Studying properly with proper planning and definite revisions for one attempt will surely make you clear this exam.
So, focus on REVISION!
At the end I just can say that only one thing that should supersede all the negative thoughts coming up in your mind is that - HOW HARDLY DO WANT TO BE A CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT.
When this stubbornness will be shown in your nature, you will definitely clear exams.
Never lose hope. It's okay if you are taking time to clear this exam. But trust me, at the end when you see 'PASS' along with that big beautiful smile on your Parents face will make every single effort, tear and every bit of patience worth it!!
All the Best!
CAclubindia
